Out of sight, out of mind Published Oct. 13, 2009 By Reuben Thonerfeldt 19th Civil Engineer Squadron energy manager LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. -- One of the big problems with conservation of electrical energy is its invisibility. You can't see it, smell it and only notice it when it isn't there. Maybe that's part of the reason our total Entergy electric bill for this year is $6 million. That's right: six. million. dollars. That's the bad news; but there's good news, too. Thanks to our conservation awareness at Little Rock Air Force Base, we have slashed our overall energy usage rate down to two-thirds of what we were achieving in 2003. If we had continued on doing the same old things our electric bill this year would have been $2 million higher. Wow! We "saved" $2 million hard earned taxpayer dollars! It's difficult to see from one day to the next how little things like closing the doors make a difference ... but they do. They all add up, one day at a time, one Airman at a time; and that's what makes Little Rock AFB winners. By each and every one doing their part, we add up to a major force to contend with. Our people reported energy problems to their facility managers, who took care of it or notified the 19th Civil Engineer Squadron to get it fixed. It all added up from area lighting that stayed on because the photocells went bad to motors running hot because bearings were going out to machinery left running doing nothing to indoor lights being left on at night in unattended spaces. Anything and everything that wasted energy was reported and taken care of because someone noticed it and reported it. We all know our utility rates are going up and sometimes it doesn't seem like there is anything we can do about it, but here at "The Rock" we have shown there is something that can be done. That something is a thousand little things one day at a time; and soon enough, it amounts to thousands of dollars, one day at a time. And it all adds up to millions, one year at a time. Some of those savings are coming back. We are receiving funding for energy studies that can lead to a 14-acre solar array on base; and we are receiving funding for upgrading inefficient heating and air conditioning equipment. Every year our proven track record helps us get big ticket support to go along with those thousands of little actions that individual Airmen contribute to the bigger picture. There won't be a lot of individual recognition for replacing an incandescent bulb with a compact fluorescent light "curly-queue" bulb, we know that. But we should all know and be aware that our energy conservation efforts today are building a leaner, greener future for the next generation of Airmen. In a way, we are a pioneering generation paving the way into a future no longer dependent on imported oil. We can and should be proud that we have answered our country's call for energy independence... and we will continue to do so!